In [un temps] the actor Michel Grobety, who played Clov in Michel Soutter’s 1978 production of “Endgame” by Samuel Beckett, remembers the staged scenes and his movements. He reads aloud the parts of main characters, Clov and Hamm, from the book. At the same time, interpreter Sylvie Rey works simultaneously into sign-language. This interpretation can, however, only be seen when Clov’s part is being read. Hamm’s part can only be heard and the stool, site of the interpretation, remains empty. The microphone is directed towards the empty stool, making this lack of words and language audible and visible. On the stage, I confront the sustained and extreme disappearance of the dimension of time, of nothingness, punctuated with fragments of words attempting to fill it, with the background sounds of sign language. The absence of a theatre audience represents the continuation of these voids.
What I take from Beckett’s “Endgame” is primarily the maintenance of emptiness and silence as they bear witness to the absurd events taking place, as well as the pointless communication, the impossible dialogue.
The video is installed as a projection in the exhibition room, which is equipped with fewer stools. The sound is audible on the headphones.

A version of the video with German subtitles is available.

With support from L‘association Michel Soutter and the theatre of Carouge.